Tip Top Weekly No. 52: Frank Merriwell's Dash — page 15: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

12 ‘Tam beginning to think that won’t be an easy trick, Merriwell. You will not be far behind when we reach your room.” At this, Frank suddenly came up be- side Paul. “Judging by the way you talk, you are somewhat out of wind,’’ he said. **Not at all,’’? declared Pierson. “Then I presume you are in condition for a little dash?’ “Oh, of course! But you may beat yourself out if you crowd yourself too hard.’ “Think so?’ “Sure. Better not.”’ “Oh, I think I’ll chance it. Come on, old man, let’s tear up some dust.” Then Frank spurted. Pierson set his teeth and made a des- perate effort to keep up, but, despite his determination not to fall behind, he found that Merriwell was steadily and surely drawing away. “Come on,’’? called Frank, in a rather tantalizing manner. ‘‘It can’t be that you are going to let me run away from you?’ ° Paul did not answer. | _ “What's the matter?’ called Frank, again. ‘‘Are you ill?” | Still no answer. “Well, you are not sociable at all,” Jaughed the lad in advance, tauntingly. “Y don’t seem to like your company, and so I think I will move along. Good- With that, Pierson could see that the tantalizing fellow actually made an in- crease of speed. — “Confound him! grated Paul. “J believe he was fooling me all along when he seemed to he having a hard time to keep up. All that panting and heavy breathing was put on.’ It was decidedly humiliating to be ‘“Sollied’? in such a manner; but Paul found he could not hold his own with Frank, and he finally gave up the strug-| You talk as if he had been here half an FRANK MERRIWELL'’S DASH. gle. Still he continued to run on, think- ing that the lad ahead would use up his wind by such a burst of speed, and bhe- lieving there was a possibility of overtak- ing Merriwell before South Middle was reached. This did not happen, however, and when Paul burst into Frank’s room, he found Rattleton there, listening to a funny story that Merriwell was telling. And Merriwell? He had his feet rest- ing comfortably on the top of a table, while he lay back in an easy chair, look- ing remarkably cool, asyif he had not lately made a run of several miles. More than that, he had changed his clothes, as the suit he had on was not the same he had worn during the run! Paul staggered in, and dropped limply on the couch, staring at Frank, as if he saw a ghost. | ‘*Took—here—Merriwell,’’ he panted, ‘‘what—are—you—made—of? Are—-you —run—by—steam ?”’ : “Oh, no!’ laughed Frank. ‘I beg your pardon for leaving you in such a manner, but you know you had become so very unsociable that I had to do——”” ‘Pierson made a weak gesture,. and in- terrupted with: , ‘*Don’t apologize for that—it was the agreement that. one should run away from the other, if possible, on the way back. You had a right to do it.” ‘*What the dickens is all this about?”’ asked Rattleton,.in a mystified manner. “What have you fellows been doing?” ‘Don’t vou know?’ cried Paul,amazed. “No, I don’t know,’’ declared Rattle- ton. ‘‘Frank walked into the room a short time ago, went into his bedroom, took a sponge bath and changed his clothes, and we have been telling stories since then.’? ‘Took a sponge bath?’ shouted Pier- son, popping bolt upright. ‘‘Jerusalem! ECOMICLO® SS (C(O) an